Convertible car-seat.



R. 0. SMITH.

CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT.

AYPLIGATION FILED 1118.19, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1 R. C. SMITH.

CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION mum PEB.19, 1912.

1,060,293. Pa ented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

R. G. SMITH.

CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.19, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

RUSSELLA CAMPBELL SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

I CONVERTIBLE CAR-SEAT.

1 ,oooxes.

Application filed February 19, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29,191 3.

Serial No. 678,459.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELLA C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Car-Seats, of which the following is a specification.

The drawing rooms of railway sleeping cars as distinguished from what are termed compartments, are equipped with two seats capable of conversion into a lower berth or bed, an upper berth, and a couch, but the compartments, because of their shape and lack of space, are not provided with such couches or equivalent means permitting lying down of the occupant during the day time unless the seats are made up into a bed, which, of course, destroys their usefulness as seats. 7

One of the objects of this invention is to so construct the oppositely-facing seats in the railway car compartment that either or both of them may be elongated or lengthened into couch-like form, affording convenient and comfortable couches during the day time without at the same time preventing the occupant or occupants sitting on the seats, the couches in effect constituting seats of greater length than the ordinary seats.

Inasmuch as the space in railway sleeping cars available for the convertible into beds at night is necessarily limited and restricted, another purpose of the invention is to increase the size and width of such beds, particularly those of the lower berths, with out encroaching upon the necessary floor space used during the day time, and without necessarily increasing tie size of the car seats or materially modifying their appearance. The use of this novel form of seats and beds in compartments increases the capacity of such compartments, and improves the conditions under which the traveler sleeps, by making the bed of the lower berth of full double width rather than of a width corresponding to the ordinary length of the car-seats, as is customary in the present practice. In carrying out my invention I so construct the seats that they may be enlarged or elongated to form couches, such enlargement being taken advantage of so as to render the bed when made up of the re quired extra width to make it of ordinary double bed width.

In order that those skilled in this art may have a full and complete understanding of this invention, 1 have illustrated preferred and desirable embodiments of the same in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and to which reference should be had with the following de tailed description.

In these drawings: Figure 1 illustrates the two oppositely-facing car-seats such as are employed in the compartments of railway sleeping cars, but modified so as to incorpo rate and include certain features of my invention; Fig. 2 shows in full lines a face view of the right-hand seat illustrated in Fig. 1 and indicates by dotted lines a possible lengthening or elongation of the seat to convert it into a couch; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the car-seats on line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the seats converted into a bed of double width, and indicating the positions of the various cushions, which, of course, are covered when the bed is complctely made up, with a mattress and bed clothing; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the portion of the car-seat end folded down to form either an extension of the seat to provide in combination with the seat cushion a couch, or a lateral extension of the bed, when the seats are made up into bed form; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5--5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 illustrates a modified construction indicating a lengthening of the seat to provide a couclrlike structure, the back cushions being employed for the extra length necessary to convert the scat into the couch; Fig. 7 illustrates in elevation another modification, and Fig. 8 shows how either of the structures of Figs. 6 and 7 may be employed with the various cushions to form the bed of extra Width.

By reference to these drawings, and more particularly Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be observed that the two seats 10 and 11 are arranged as is customary in railway sleeping cars, facing one another, and that each seat is supplied with an upholstered head rest 12, a hack cushion l3, and a bottom or seat cusln ion 14 supported as is usual so as to be capable of sliding forwardly to form the central portion of the bed structure, as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 3. Each seat has the customary inner or wall seat-end 15 equipped with the. upholstered arm rest 16. The outer seat-end 17 for each seat has a section 18 thereof hinged at 19 so as to be capable of swinging downwardly and outwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 4, to form the necessary extension to convert the seat into a couch, or, in case the bed is made up, to form the side extension of the bed structure. The inner face of the section 18 is provided with a suitable pad or cushion 20 adapted to form a cushion extension of the seat cushion H when the seat is converted into a couch, and adapted to comprise an extension portion on which the mattress rests when the bed is made up. In order to support and hold such seat-section 18 in the turned down horizontal position, I fasten to the same at one end thereof. a curved or arcuate bar 2.1 having a shoulder or hook 22 at its inner end which engages a suitable stop or pin 23 to limit the downward swing-- ing of the seat-section. This section, when in vertical position, has on its upper edge an arm-rest: cushion or pad 24. and the seat. end in addition is supplied with a seat head-end :25 provided on its edge with the usual uphotstering or pad 20. In rder to complete the bed structure and tilt in the space be tween the spa edatpart seat sections IS, I may employ a removable bed .--ection or tiller pie e .27 shaped to conform to the seat sections 18 and prov ded on its top surface with a suitable cushion in the same plane as the tops of the cushions .13, ti and 20. This heds'cction or member tits neatlyin position as shown in Fig. 3, and is prevented from dislodgment by its shape, unless it. is lifted out of position. which may be readily ef' tected. The member 27 is supported not only by the scat-sections 18, but also by the companion shions 1t, 14, as is clearly illustrated.

During the day time, that is, when the bed is not made up, the pair of oppositely tacing seats may present the appearance indicated in full lines in Fig. l, the cushions l3, 13, being in place beneath the head-Cushions 2-). 25, to form the backs of the seats, while tll( body or seat. cushions 1- ll, are in the ordinary position beneath the inner ard outer s at-ends, as is well indicate('. in Fig. l. l'udcr these conditions the hing-d sections t are in vertical position in register with thrrctnaindcr of the out r scat-ends, and are held or l cked in such raised position by any suitable term of clamp or catch. it it is desired to convert or change eitler ot' he seats into couch form, its hinged section 18 is unlocked or ltlCtlttlltd and turned down into horizontal position, herein it forms an extension or prolongation of the seat sulficient to change the stat structure into a couch of substant al length. It the headsection 25 is in the way it. maybe hinged to the back of the seat. or the wall, and be capable of turning or folding against the wall out of the way.

t l l l l t l l l i l l l l t l l At night, or at; any time when it desired to matte up the bed the companion scat. cushions 14, 14, are slid forward tovii'd one another until they abut, and the back cushions 13, 13, are brought into the same .horizontal plane as the scat cushions. ow

cupyin the spaces va a d by the :eatahdh ions. The two hinged se ti ns 15, to. are swung or folded down into hor zontal position with their cushd ns :20, 721'). in the same plane as the cushions l l, i 1, these scat cu hions being maintained in proper relation to the other parts of the seat s by the upporting action of the curved bars it. Then he inter mediate tiller-piece or lauhscctioti 27 is placed in position between the scat ections, being partially supported by the latter and also the cushions or seat bott ms it. l t. in this way a bed of substantial width. prac tically equaling that ot' an rdinacv bedstead is provided, and on top i t' the cushions l3, 14, Q0 and the llltllll'tim and bed clothing' are placed in the usual manner.

Where such a constructi n is taken advantage of in a compartment oi' a railway car. such room can be made to accoinnunlate three persons, two in the l wer double berth and one in the usual upper erth. s that by incorporating the liillllil. t' i'idlrtt'lltll ltt of my invention in the sca the capae y of each compartment is in reas d from two to three person or it two persons only occupy the room they can use thi lower double berth and thereby as old the necessity of ascending into the upper berth.

From the above de cription it will be obvious that by replacii g th scat cushions in their ordinary positionrenaming the intcrunaliatc tiilcr and folding up the s atcnd ll !l- 12b, t'lll w ill b in their condition complete in every it tiller being accoin l 'tow on ot' the ol'tlinit} respect. th lltlt'lll'li'l modat d in he p om.

. seats or u. an. no t -'t.-'l-tttltttt piace. As soon as any ot the ow upants ot' the coinparttncnt desire to rrcline. ne ol" the seat ends can be toldcd down. chair-x such scat into a cotnt'ortnbhcouch rt materially nio-litvint the appcarau c ot the eoznpait uncut and without inl cl'crinij in w th the t the! occupants or tht'uz' iing's otth room. 'l urtheradi'antagcofrhcconstru tion is that the bed may be made up n the old way with a narrow iuattrcssdhc tiller piece not being required as a -upport theret'cr. under which arraimemcnt one or both ot the scat. ends nzay be extended horizontally to a position beyond thesidc of the bed to form at the b ad or foot of the same, or both. a scat for tt--c in dressing. a table for food lamb medicine, ctc.. or a step for use in a cending int: the upper berth.

In Fig. (3 a modified construction is indicated. In this f rm of construction he entire inner scat-end PM is connected to the.

embodiment oi the in -ntien illt, izi l-i ri.-,hi ,=n of the. seat instead 19 o'hbeing in the ingle pita-e; ma bidesiraorr oivio'eil .--o a to provine two (IliblllOllS a; dotted l nes in l. or tn argeoieni liar iii and 3 to torn) the extension t re-tu npon the l; in" hiilllt plane aithe will iii-ant pla m 'lt :ioi l l Hfi'L'i tt. in a etrzwure of this add utl tushionrs aw required to H r ot-h. the ack euehion be ng mere y tiiYit f and its two se ions placed t-rosswii-e oi' the bars 'll. l urtherinor by moving; the entire seattnd 1 4) to the end the eoneh, it form a ronv nien: support tor the (utensiliii-portion ot' the couch, the adja nent end of the seat proper b ing: stipported on any suitalr-le standard 33, \vliieln being: under the eat ir-i inconspicuous an I prm'tieall out o sight when the seatrud Zit is in the full line position shown.

In Fig. 7 a somewhat changed struetuie is shown, (littering from that. illustrated in Fig. i? in that the upper ortion 2W onl ot the seatend is pulled out when it is des red to e ivert the sent into a couch the lower ection of the seabend remaining in its ordi nary position and acting as a support for he seat strut-tore. in the preceding instance, the part 36 of the aeat end is connected to the s-2t tiiir'tnre proper by means of the sliding ta; connected to the section 36 and sliilabh a fiated with the seat. In

v the extension of the seat whieh form iliit: a,

l 1, -onverta n ii'lLU eou h lb overhanging, as t'i'nil y illustrated.

In l i r. I have shown the arraiugeliient and i,

iosition oi the vushions and other pa ts when the seat construrtions of re made up into bed form. In ihenil St") or lit; in potted i ni'nint. the seat and back we lih l!" u ual horizontal position "n portion f the bed and 4 it the bed lformed by m rashionse 3i and -it), helit pun-ed one of the deiions 114. so that the parts c' ture over whiten the mattress are pia i-d oreupvjthe pom-- ti glue. The extra limit-I, ordinary cirohe ot the pillow the .Stitlr; when :irh nan be employed as blIHWIl in i :on $3, ltie lt'tltl eusnioo v be 1 when employed roaches, because in this case the back cushions are needed to com plete the bed. as is well shown.

Although I have herein described with some de ree (it particularity, ditlerent embodinients ot' the invention. it is not to be understood that the latter is limited or rt stricted to the precise and exact niet'hanical features ot' construction of the devi r illustrated and "bell, bei-ause the various parts oi these seats llltly be nioditied within roinparatively wide limits without departure from the substance of my invention and without the sacrifice of an of its who not ial benefits and advantagwa I cl aim:

1. In. a convertible seat and lied eon strurtion for railway ears. the combination of a pair of oppositelyiaeing ear-sea1s hav' ing one end abutting: against the side wall and the other provided with seat-ends cushions for said seats and their baelt's adapted to be shifted into a horizontal plane to form a portion of the bed. one ot said seat-eiids having at least a portion thereof movable to form a side extension at the end of the bed, substantially as described.

'3. In a convertible seat and bed construetion for railway ears the combination of a pair of oppositely-facing ear ats having one end abutting against the tide wall and the other provided with seat-ends, b ttom cushions, back cushions and head curhions for each of said SBQITS, said bottom and back rushions being adapted to be shifted into a horizontal plane to form a portion of the bed, said Seat-ends having at lst a portion thereof movable to form a side extensiiiin of the bed, whereby to provide a bed of greater width than the length of the seats, one of said head cushions forming at least a portion of the cushion for said extension when the bed is made up, substantially as described.

3. In a sleeping ear, the combination of a pair of fixed oppositely facing seats *aeh having one end abutting against the side wait and the. other provided with seat ends, said seat ends movable to form a side extension of the t-wo seats and a filler pit ee adapt,- ed to occupy the space between the extended seat ends Wl'iereby to provide a bed of width greater than the length of the seats substantially as described.

L In a sleeping can the eonibinat ien of a, pair of tixed oppositely faring seats each having: ne end abutting against the side wall and the other priwided with seat. ends, said seat, ends hinged to swing to a horia rititittll pobition to 't'orni a side extension of -wmmwu n m, V.

The combination in a eleeping ea r oomi partniennot a pair of fixed oppositely facing i :eats disposed transversely of the eonipari went at one side thereof, the seat ends hinged to drop to a substantially horizontal poeition into the space between said mats} and the compartment Side wall, and a tiller piece adapted to occupy the space between ,i the extended seat ends whereby to utilize a 1 portion of the space within the compartment to provide a bed having a width greater than i the length of the seats, substantially as tlescribed. l

6. In a sleeping ear, the combination of a pair 01 fat'ingl double nents having portions; adapted to bridge the spaee between the HtBLtLS to (-onstitnte thereof a bed, the end of at least one of the seats movable to 't in a horizontal side extenuion of said seat, nbstantially as described. 1

7. In a sleeping ar. the combination oi a pair ol faving seats having portions adapt-- i ed to bridge the space between the weak to 1 vonstitnttthereof 21 bed. the end of at iea-t one of the seam hinged to drop to a horii Zontal position to form a, iile ext nder: at 1 the end of the lied. snb--tantiatlv a dewribe l. 5

in a Bleeping ear, the t-oinbinnti n of a pair of facing dol/lle having portions adapted to bridgt the space between the seats to eonntitute thereof a bed, one 01' the seat ends hinged at a point sulwtttntially tapiidistant from its lower end and from. he upper edge of the seat bottom where y to drop to :1 ln 'izontal position and to etnistitnte a snbatantially unbroken continuation of the Stitt bottom, substantiaiiy deneribed.

S "1 a nit-oping ear, the combination of a, pair of facing; double seats; having portions adapted to bridge the space between the soak to eonatitnte thereof a bed, the end of one of the beats hinged to drop to a horizontal positioi'n the said seat end hinged at a point sulmtantinliy equidi tant 'l='o1n its lower end and from the upper edge of the ent bottom and at a distance below the plane of said upper edge uii'rehpmnling snbstantially to the ti lt'iilt5?$ of the v eat end 'n'btieby to bridge the interspnee and to on rllltld a ,sllilritlttittlil) unbroken Pontinnation of the meat bottom hen dropped to its ptone p hltltlll sobstantiallv as deserilmd.

ltlShFililA CAMPBELL SMITH. Vitntwsev:

\Yuxrin: M. FULLER, T. l). l'iIj'lLl'lR. 

